Fall Internship 2017
Show-Me Institute Internships: Fall 2017 The Show-Me Institute is pleased to offer internship opportunities for Fall 2017. Internships are open...
Face-Palm: Loop Trolley Over-Budget, Likely Delayed, Again
Face-palming is defined as: Bringing the palm of one’s hand to one’s face, as an expression of disbelief, shame, or...
Pension System’s Generous Benefits Come from the Pockets of Others
Teachers love their pension system. And why not? A teacher can retire at age 55 with 30 years of service...
Is TIF Failing the “But-For” Test?
Tax-increment financing (TIF) is a development subsidy program abused all over Missouri, and especially in Saint Louis. See exhibit A:...
Man versus Machine in Saint Louis
We’ve written about the encroachment of machines into the workforce previously. From fast food kiosks to the advent of workplace...
Why Haven’t We Fixed This Law Yet?
Whatever our policy inclinations, we should all agree that government ought to be for the public good, transparent, and accountable....
How Missouri’s Special Taxing Districts Promote “Legal Plunder”
In the land of the blind, the man with one eye is king. When it comes to Missouri’s rapidly proliferating...
A Tax-Cut Change of Heart from the Post-Dispatch?
I read with interest the St. Louis Post-Dispatch‘s staff editorial, “Illinois’ economy stacks up to Missouri’s, despite Schmitt’s criticism.” Much can be...
The Cost of Government Transparency in Missouri
Collecting data for a research project on Missouri city budgets—known for now as the “government checkbook project”—I have found inconsistencies...
Saint Louis, the Sales Tax Monster
As Cookie Monster is to cookies, Saint Louis is to sales taxes. Back in April, voters in the City of...
Stadium Subsidies: Not Just for the Big Leagues Anymore
Show-Me Institute analysts have opposed spending taxpayer money on sports stadiums in Kansas City, Saint Louis, or anywhere. These subsidies...
Kansas City’s Economic Diversion
City leaders are still pointing to Kansas City’s downtown as an economic development success story. Taxpayers lose millions each year...
Real Incentive Reforms for Saint Louis
Economic development incentives like tax increment financing (TIF) and tax abatement have been grossly misused in Missouri’s two major cities...
We Need to Make Missouri More Attractive to Charter Management Organizations
Earlier this week, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University released a new study of Charter...
Putting the APPP in Perspective
The City of St. Louis is exploring the privatization of Lambert International Airport through the federal Airport Pilot Privatization Program...
No Surprise: Fresh Competition from Rideshare Companies Leads to Taxi Reforms in St. Louis
Straight from the Department of Totally Expected Outcomes, Saint Louis’ Metropolitan Taxicab Commission has slashed a wide array of fees...
Double Taxation: Saint Louis Zoo Edition
Policymakers in Jefferson City passed Senate Bill 49 (SB 49), which allows for a sales tax of one eighth of...
Another Stadium Subsidy Bites the Dust
Missouri taxpayers dodged a bullet last December when state funding for a soccer stadium in downtown Saint Louis was opposed...
Session Notes: Electrician Licensing Reform Passes
Congratulations to Missouri’s electricians who, thanks to legislation that passed the House yesterday, will soon have greater flexibility in where...
Correction to Saint Louis TIF essay
The Show Me Institute’s recently-released paper, “Tax Increment Financing in Saint Louis,” contains an error. That error was quoted in...
